Youth and Maturity
by Psianabel
Summary: Early in her life Sice had to deal with things no child should have experienced, having a too great effect on her. But they are ways to turn things around to use it as the perfect opportunity to enable future strength. (Type 0 Week Day 3, One Shot)


When Sice held her own weapon in her hand for the first time, she just reached the age of 9.

She didn't choose this way-too-big, pointy, and sharp scythe on her own, it materialized in her hand in a flash out of nowhere when she and the other children, who came with her, led into the Sorcery by Mother one day. All the other deadly weapons that lied on the table vanished bit by bit, instead appearing in the hands of the children and only minutes after they stepped into the room, everyone had a different weapon in their hand.

A ritual that was just a starting point of the things that were about to come.

Sice would never forget the generous smile from Mother when she swung her weapon for the first time, a feeling of familiarity flooding through her body when she tested several slashes on the spot and movements to get the best result. Eager she tried new ways and trained hard, never wanting to disappoint, herself and Mother.

With that familiarity, it didn't take her long to make progress fast and learn the ways of a scythe. What other might learn in a few years, Sice managed in a few months under the careful watch of Arecia, a spark appearing in her eyes whenever she got a compliment that only let her want to become better and better at fighting.

Fighting. An urge she had since she could remember. Fighting for food, a save hiding spot in the gray streets of her home city Pamidora, for a dry space to sleep for the night – fighting to live and survive.

Yet none of that mattered once Arecia took her in, holding her in the facility in safety without having to fight for her life anymore. Never she should fear death anymore – Arecia told her that over and over until it finally stuck in Sice's head.

If she fell in battle, she would stand up again.

The fear of death gone from her mind, yet her ability to fight lingered. Always on the edge, always ready to strike – the small girl loved to train with her sharp scythe and it wasn't a seldom occurrence that she showed the other children how much she learned, how much better she got which each training's session, always keeping them on their toes to push them further.

Always leading by example and never slacking off, earning approval from Mother more than often. And Sice finally gained her self-confidence back she'd lost all that time ago.

When Sice grew a year older, exactly those fears of her past caught up on her.

Tight she gripped the fine polished scythe in her hand that let her knuckles turn white from force, keeping it close to her body and silently gasped, feeling her heartbeat picking up at the sight. Her eyes twitched, her legs began to quiver and her arms to tremble, she blinked again and again, because this shouldn't be happening.

Just seconds after the small girl entered the enormous training's hall she turned from confident and excited to nervous and anxious, a change she did not expect to experience ever again.

The sight of Imperial Soldiers pierced deep in her memories and dug up things she'd rather forget forever. Betrayal, fear, helplessness flowed in her mind and washed over her tiny body, goosebumps roaming all over her skin now.

Betrayed and the only one left behind by her "friends", while sneaking into a warehouse to search for anything edible, taking advantage of her to get away while she got caught by Imperial Soldiers in the process. The memories after that were too painful to recall, only negativity remained as a reminder of what happened.

If it weren't for Arecia, she wouldn't be here right now. And she would forever be grateful for saving her life that day.

No child should have experienced what she had. Engraved in her soul it would have forever an impact on her life, no matter how much she tried to process these memories.

That she reacted now that way just proved it.

Of course Arecia knew about Sice's fears and always managed to work around just that, yet here Sice stood in front of these two soldiers that were the cause of all her problems. That she got those as her next enemies was no coincidence.

Was it finally time to face her fears? Would it help her to become stronger?

Of course it would. Mother never made mistakes, Mother knew what was right for her children.

Closing her eyes Sice took a deep breath and tried to calm herself down from the creeping anxiety crawling on her back.

" _Embrace the feeling. Give in to it and push yourself even further. You can do it, darling."_

Mother's words from before she entered the hall sounded in her head, not making much sense back then. But now she faced the situation, it was clear what she had to do.

She could only become stronger and surpass herself if she drew strength from her fears and turned it into raw energy.

Her ears were on high alert, sensing the two Imperial Soldiers with every fiber of her being and made out their movements. They were circling around her in awe-stricken silence, weapons loaded and ready to strike.

In a flash she opened her sharp eyes again, focusing on them, and in just a matter of seconds the whole intense atmosphere in the hall crashed down with a single slash of Sice's scythe.

Sice's attack rattled in the air and the two enemies that caused the pain to come back slumped down before they even reacted with a blink of their eyes, their lives vanishing from their insides in a silent groan. Their bodies hit the ground with a dull thump, echoing in the wide room that almost hurt in Sice's sensitive ears.

The noise let her pulse quicken, her body high from adrenaline and numb from her fast heartbeat.

Sice didn't look back at the work she just performed. She settled her gaze in the distance, not wasting any energy to turn around to the bloody mess she left behind, but she couldn't focus on anything she made out – too blurry was her sight to let her think properly, she shook her head.

A small puddle of blood formed right beneath the blade of her scythe, drop after drop landing on the dusty ground and decorated the bland ground with the crimson color.

It took her a few seconds to realize she just killed her first humans.

Many monsters might have lost their lives under her scythe already, but humans … humans were never on the list until now.

Her shoulders drop after she released a deep breath, the metallic air still hanging in her lungs. She did it – she killed the enemies Mother wanted her to face, no need to look back now.

The fear got suddenly washed away in a single fight – there was no reason to fear the Imperial Soldiers anymore, Sice just proved herself she was strong enough to take them down in one blow.

"You did well, darling."

The familiar voice let her regain her focus again and a smile formed on Sice's lips when she finally turned around, her eyes widen in happiness when she saw Arecia approaching.

"I did?"

"Yes. You took them down just like I expected." Arecia stood close to the little girl and gave her a small pat on the head that let her squirm a bit. "You're training is over now, would you come with me?"

"Sure!"

Sice took the hand Arecia offered her, yet not letting go of her beloved scythe just yet. Arecia raised an eyebrow at the odd behavior, though she didn't question Sice's decision to carry her weapon while they walked.

"Have you felt anything, my child?" Arecia asked when they reached the exit of the hall, studying Sice's face as she searched for an answer.

"I feel … stronger now that I killed them." Sice tried to explain, holding in for a few seconds. "At first I feared them, but then I remembered your words and just did what you said."

Big blue eyes stared into Arecia's, but Sice only received a smile from her.

"I see. Very well then."

Just as Sice wanted to leave the room, she dematerialized her weapon in her hand, ready to go.

But Arecia didn't miss the faint red aura around the scythe.

It was finally time.


End file.
